Ball housing



Dec. 11, 1951 A.' N. JONES 2,578,069

BALL HOUSING Filed Sept. 2, 1947 (fan s INVENTOR ATTORNEYSQ Patented Dec. 11, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BALL HOUSING Arthur N. Jones, Morris, Okla.

Application September 2, 1947, Serial No. 771,671

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in the ball and seat valve construction which is a part of the conventional oil well pump, and more particularly, relates to a novel and useful improvement comprising a housing for the ball valve.

By way of background, it is pointed out that in the conventional ball and seat valves used in oil well pumping, the fluid being pumped rushes under heavy pressure around the ball valve while passing through the valve cage, and the ball, being directly in the path of the fluid, is as a result whipped about and is subjected to a continual pounding, the damaging effects of which are transmitted to the cage, causing serious wear and injury to the parts thereof. Additionally, when pumping operations are terminated, the ball is quite often in misalignment with its seat, and is required to drop a considerable distance thereupon, resulting, as will be seen, in the seat itself being subjected to a battering effect, and being caused to be distorted and unduly worn.

An important object of the invention, therefore, is to provide an arrangement whereby the ball is entirely removed from the path of the fluid during the pumping operation, and is wholly covered or protected therefrom, the ball being retained relatively immovable within the housing devised. As a result, the invention aims to avoid whipping of the ball within the cage, which has the damaging effect hereinbefore stated.

Another important object of the invention is to so arrange the parts as to cause the ball to drop, that is the distance which the ball drops when pumping operations are terminated, to be shortened to an unusual extent, the aim being to subject the seat member to proportionately less pounding or battering by the ball dropping thereupon.

Still another object of the invention is to embody in the above construction of a housing meansfor guiding the ball in a straight line, so that it will be in exact alignment with its seat member when it drops, and will also move upwardly within the housing when pumping operations are begun, in the same straight line, the ball being in other words reciprocated within its tions are beginning or being terminated, and being permitted no movement other than this straight line or reciprocating movement.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide a construction wherein sand or the like, settling after the pumping operations have been terminated, will not settle around the ball valve so that when pumping operations aresubhousing, depending on whether pumping opera- 2 sequently resumed, the ball valve willhave the full amount-of working room above it, so that it may rise to proper position, and will not interfere with the fluid being pumped.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a valve construction wherein an unusual amount of space is permitted for passage of the fluid up past the ball valve and through the valve cage, resulting in less friction and easier p mping.

Withthe foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the'invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be -made in the construction and arrangement of line 2 -2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the refer ence character 5 designates a section of pump tubing, having at its lower end the 'exteriorly 'reduced and threaded annular flange 6. Flange 6 is received in the interiorly threaded upstanding flange 1 of the valve cage, the upper portion 8 of which is exteriorly reduced and threaded for engagement in the threaded upper end of the cylindrical casing 9. Below the upper portion 8,

the cage is externally of substantially less diameter than the inner diameter of its casing 9, where-- s by to define an annular chamber [0 for the pasv sage of fluid, the chamber extending from the lower end'of the'valve cage and'its depending housing (to be described to the lower end of the engaged upper-portion 8 of the cage.

The main or intermediate section of the valve cage has been designated at H, and is provided with the customary slots I! that are in communication with chamber I0, whereby fluid moving upwardly through the annular chamber I!) may enter the slot l2 and continue upwardly through the pump tubing. I

In accordance with the invention, I provide at the Towerendof the cage a ball housing I3, this being a cylindrical extension of the intermediate portion II of the cage; and being of; the same diameter externally, so that the annular chamher I!) will notbe narrowed unnecessarily.

The housing 1 l is preferably cast integral with the valve cage, and at its upper end, is separated from the remainder of the cage by a relatively thickened partition l4, constituting a ball stop, which is also an integral casting with the housing and cage proper.

A ball valve is designated by the reference character l5, and is contained within the ball housing It: In this connection, the diameter of the inner wall of the ball housing I3 is greater than the diameter of the ball valve 15 only to an extent sufiicient to permit movement of the ball from end to end of the housing without wedging therein. Preferably, the clearance is very slight. I have found, for example, that ten thousandths of an inch clearance provides suflicient room for the ball to work within the housing, without, on the other hand, causing the ball to move out of a straight line when so working.

The annular space defined between the surface of the ball l5 and the inner wall of the housing I3 is designated by the reference character IS, the width of the space being somewhat exaggerated in the drawing for the purpose of illustration.

Mounted in the lower end of the cage casing 9 is an annular seat member I1, this having the usual annularly ground seat [8 at its upper end, for the reception of the ball 15.

The lower end of the ball housing I3 is spaced above the seat [8 a short distance, the distance being sufficient, however, for the free passage of fluid, without any interference therewith. It is pertinent to note at this point that, as clearly shown in Figure 1, the center point of the ball 15 is spaced above the lower end l9 of the housing, when the ball is positioned on the seat I8. In Figure l, as will be noted the section line 3-3 passes through the center of the ball IS, the section line being a distinct space above the lower end IS.

The purpose of this arrangement, as will be obvious, is to cause the ball 15 to be retained at all times within the ball housing l3, so that the ball will always be in proper position to be guided upwardly or downwardly by the inner wall of the housing, without contact of a forcible nature with said inner wall.

It should be further pointed out that the length of the ball housing, that is the distance between the lower surface of the partition 14 and the lower end [9 of the housing, can be somewhat shorter, as illustrated, than the diameter of the ball. As a result, when the ball 15 is moved upwardly in the housing, against partition l4, it moves only a very short distance, thereby relieving wear on the parts. Conversely, when the ball drops upon the seat l8, it drops only a very short distance, and this relieves the seat l8 from the usual battering or pounding effect found in conventional construction. wherein in most cases, the ball drops a. considerable distance. When the ball is in its uppermost position, the lower portion thereof projects slightly below the lower end I9 of the housing, but it will be seen that this does not interfere in any way with the passage of fluid through the seat member and up into the annular chamber 10.

When fluid is being pumped, the ball If: moves upwardly within the housing l3, and the fluid passing out of the seat member I! moves up housing.

seat element and ball being other.

by reason of the construction which I have provided, the ball I5 is positioned entirely out of the path of the on-rushing fluid, and remains relatively immovable within the protecting ball housing. I have found this to be advantageous not only from the standpoint of preventing whipping of the ball within the valve cage, with accompanying pounding and damaging of parts, but also, from the standpoint of providing a fully unimpeded passage for the fiuid. By reason of the construction provided, a large annular chamber is provided for the passage of the fluid, through which the fluid can move without interference.

It should be further noted that when the ball is moved upwardly within the housing, it moves in a straight line, and when pump operations are terminated, it is moved, or dropped, downwardly in the same straight line so that it is guided without deviation directly to the seat It, thereby avoiding the usual distortion or wear resulting to the seat member in conventional construction.

Referring to Figure 1, at the top of the ball housing I3 I form in the wall thereof, just below the lower surface of the partition It, a plurality of openings 20, that open downwardly and outwardly from the interior of the housing into the chamber Iii. These constitute breath holes for the fluid, and serve as outlets for such fluid as may enter the interior of the housing.

With the construction described, the settling of sand after the termination of pumping operations will not in any way interfere with the subsequent free movement of the ball l5 when the operations are resumed, since the ball is protectively covered by the housing, the greatest portion of the ball being at all times within the In this connection, the openings 20 are slanted downwardly for the purpose of preventing sand normally settling from entering the housing above the ball and thereby interfering with its proper operation.

Although the invention has been shown as applied to a closed cage, it could as well be applied to cages of the open type.

What is claimed is:

l. A check valve for insertion between. co-axial lengths of pump tubing comprising an elongated tubular valve cage carrying adjacent one end an internally screw threaded socket adapted to be threaded on the adjacent end of a length of pump tubing, a partition extending transversely across and closing the end of the cage remote from the socketl said cage having apertures r extending through its side wall between the socket and the partition, an annular ball housing carried by and extending.longitudinally from the end of the cage adjacent said partition, an elongated tubular casing carried by the cage in concentric spaced relation thereto, a seat element carried b the casing in closely spaced relation to the ball housing, a threaded socket carried by the casing adjacent the seat element for threadedly receiving a length of pump tubing, and a ball normally seating upon said seat element and formed to a diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the ball housing, the ball being slidable within the housing off of the seat element and being engageable at the limit of its travel away from said seat element with the partition to permit the passage of fluid through the seat element and exteriorly of the ball housing to the apertured portion of the cage, said cage, casing, co-axial with each 2. A check valve for insertion between co-axial lengths of pump tubing comprising a cage carrying adjacent one end an internally screw threaded socket and external screw threads adjacent said socket, an annular ball housing carried byv the cage and extending longitudinally from the end thereof remote from the socket, a partition carried by the cage adjacent the ball housing, said cage having apertures extending therethrough between the socket and the partition,

a cylindrical casing threadedly engaging the exterior screw threads of the cage and extending longitudinally of said cage and ball housing in concentric spaced relation thereto, an internally screw threaded socket carried by the casing adjacent the ball housing, a seat element threaded in said last named socket and disposed in closely spaced relation to the end of the ball housing remote from the partition, and a ball normally seating upon said seat element and formed to a diameter corresponding substantially to the internal diameter of the ball housing, the ball being slidable within the ball housing ofi ofthe seat element and being engageable when unseated with the partition to permit the passage of fluid through the seat element and exteriorly of the ball housing and through the apertures into the cage, said cage, casing, seat element,

and ball being co-axial with each other.

ARTHUR N. JONES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 178,469 Rue June 6, 1876 780,786 Dunham Jan. 24, 1905 1,555,934 Barker Oct. 6, 1925 1,679,283 Wells July 31, 1928 1,746,612 Seager Feb. 11, 1930 2,091,058 Thompson Aug. 24, 1937 2,245,653 Dierker June 1'7, 1941 2,278,715 Stoyke Apr. 7, 1942 2,296,135 Batson Sept. 15, 1942 2,330,468 Brisbane Sept. 28, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 596,663 France of 1934 773,742 France of 1934 

